Des Moines residents file written complaint against city council representative Indira Sheumaker

The document references the Iowa legislature, saying an elected officer may be removed from office for "willful or habitual neglect or refusal to perform the duties of the office."

The document references the Iowa legislature, saying an elected officer may be removed from office for "willful or habitual neglect or refusal to perform the duties of the office."

KCCI. EIGHT NEWS AT SIX. NEW AT SIX. SOME RESIDENTS IN DES MOINES SAY THEY ARE FED UP WITH WHAT THEY CALL THEIR COUNCIL MEMBERS. FREQUENT ABSENCES. KCCI ETHAN HUMBLE JOINS US TONIGHT. ETHAN THEY WANT THE COUNCIL TO SET UP A SPECIAL ELECTION TO REPLACE INDIRA SCHUMACHER. STACY IT’S BEEN NEARLY FIVE MONTHS SINCE SCHUMACHER LAST ATTENDED A CITY COUNCIL MEETING AND FIVE OF THE PEOPLE SHE SERVES ARE NOW BRINGING THEIR FRUSTRATIONS TO THE COUNCIL. THE ANGER OF SOME DES MOINES WARD ONE RESIDENTS IS BOILING OVER. THE SITUATION IS FRUSTRATING. I THINK SHE SHOULD GO AHEAD AND RESIGN AN OR THEY SHOULD REMOVE HER. THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT INDIRA SCHUMACHER, THE CITY COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE OF WARD ONE. NOW FIVE NORTHWEST DES MOINES RESIDENTS HAVE ELEVATED THEIR CONCERNS. THEY HIRED AN ATTORNEY TO FILE A WRITTEN COMPLAINT TO THE COUNCIL. THE DOCUMENT REFERENCES IOWA LEGISLATURE SAYING AN ELECTED OFFICER MAY BE REMOVED FROM OFFICE FOR, QUOTE, WILLING OR HABITUAL NEGLECT OR REFUSAL TO PERFORM THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICE, END QUOTE. IN THE COMPLAINT, THEY WANT THE MATTER TO BE SET FOR A HEARING AT AN UPCOMING CITY COUNCIL MEETING BEFORE GIVING SCHUMACHER AN OPPORTUNITY TO APPEAR AND DEFEND HERSELF AT THAT POINT, THE COMPLAINT CALLS FOR A VOTE ON SCHUMACHER’S REMOVAL, REQUIRING A TWO THIRDS VOTE OF THE ENTIRE COUNCIL. THE PEOPLE WHO SIGNED THE PETITION WANT IT DONE BY NOVEMBER 7TH, SO THE CITY CAN SET AN ELECTION FOR HER REPLACEMENT. SOME RESIDENTS WE HEARD FROM IN WARD ONE SHARE THE CONCERNS OF THE PEOPLE WHO SIGNED THE COMPLAINT. I REALLY FEEL LIKE IF SOMEBODY ELECTED TO DO SOMETHING, THEY TOOK THE TIME TO RUN. THEY SHOULD DO WHAT THEY WERE ELECTED TO DO. THE COMPLAINT COMES LARGELY BECAUSE, DESPITE HER NEARLY FIVE MONTH LONG ABSENCE, SCHUMACHER CONTINUES TO RECEIVE A LARGE NUMBER OF PAYMENTS AND BENEFITS FROM THE CITY. THOSE, INCLUDING A $1,110 BIWEEKLY PAYCHECK OVER. $550 IN HEALTH INSURANCE EACH MONTH AND A $75 STIPEND EACH WEEK, AMONG OTHER BENEFITS FROM BEING A COUNCIL MEMBER. BUT ONE MESSAGE FROM THE PEOPLE BEING SERVED BY SCHUMACHER IS CLEAR IT’S JUST A COMMON SENSE GO TO WORK, GET PAID, DON’T GO TO WORK, DON’T GO GET PAID. CORRECT. AN AT LARGE COUNCILMAN CARL VOSS CALLED THE REQUEST, QUOTE, NEW TERRITORY FOR THE COUNCIL, SAYING THEY NEED TO SPEAK WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY BEFORE MAKING ANY DECISIONS. NOW, I REACHED OUT TO SCHUMACHER EARLIER TODAY AND HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY RESPONSE TO ANY OF THOSE REQUESTS AND THE COUNCIL AND SCHUMACHER HAVE NOT HAD ANY CORRESPONDENCE SINCE SHE LAST ATTENDED A MEETING IN MARCH AT CITY HALL. ETHA

Des Moines residents file written complaint against city council representative Indira Sheumaker

The document references the Iowa legislature, saying an elected officer may be removed from office for "willful or habitual neglect or refusal to perform the duties of the office."

Five Des Moines residents have filed a complaint calling for the removal of Ward I Representative Indira Sheumaker from the Des Moines City Council.The complaint is the first written filing against Sheumaker's nearly five-month absence from city council meetings and work sessions.The document references the Iowa legislature, saying an elected officer may be removed from office for "willful or habitual neglect or refusal to perform the duties of the office."In the complaint, written with the assistance of an attorney, they want the matter to be set for a hearing at an upcoming city council meeting before giving Sheumaker an opportunity to appear and defend herself.At that point, the complaint calls for a vote on Sheumaker's removal, requiring a two-thirds vote of the entire council.One Ward I resident expressed his concerns about Sheumaker's absence."She's not been going to council meetings and all of that, so do we really have representation in our neighborhood? Probably no," Alfred Hopp said.KCCI tried to contact Sheumaker via both phone and email today but didn't receive a response.When asked about how the complaint would proceed through the council, at-large council representative Carl Voss said, "This is new territory. I can't speak until we chat with the city attorney."The people who signed the petition want it done by Nov. 7, so the city can set an election for her replacement.

DES MOINES, Iowa —

Five Des Moines residents have filed a complaint calling for the removal of Ward I Representative Indira Sheumaker from the Des Moines City Council.

The complaint is the first written filing against Sheumaker's nearly five-month absence from city council meetings and work sessions.

The document references the Iowa legislature, saying an elected officer may be removed from office for "willful or habitual neglect or refusal to perform the duties of the office."

In the complaint, written with the assistance of an attorney, they want the matter to be set for a hearing at an upcoming city council meeting before giving Sheumaker an opportunity to appear and defend herself.

At that point, the complaint calls for a vote on Sheumaker's removal, requiring a two-thirds vote of the entire council.

One Ward I resident expressed his concerns about Sheumaker's absence.

"She's not been going to council meetings and all of that, so do we really have representation in our neighborhood? Probably no," Alfred Hopp said.

KCCI tried to contact Sheumaker via both phone and email today but didn't receive a response.

When asked about how the complaint would proceed through the council, at-large council representative Carl Voss said, "This is new territory. I can't speak until we chat with the city attorney."

The people who signed the petition want it done by Nov. 7, so the city can set an election for her replacement.

Des Moines residents file written complaint against city council representative Indira Sheumaker

The document references the Iowa legislature, saying an elected officer may be removed from office for "willful or habitual neglect or refusal to perform the duties of the office."

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